Tip: Clean up your Start Menu -> Programs window

[ctmagnus]

I discovered this tip this morning, so I figured I'd share it:

If you use a third-party file explorer program (such as Resco Explorer (www.resco.net) or GSFinder+ (http://www.freewareppc.com/utilities/gsfinder.shtml)) rather than the anemic built-in File Explorer, you can hide unwanted items from your Start Menu -> Programs window without deleting those items.

To do this, open the default File Explorer program and make sure that View All Files is unchecked. Then open your preferred file explorer program, navigate to the \Windows\Start Menu\Programs folder and change the attributes of any items you don't want to show up in your Programs window to Hidden. The next time you open your Programs folder, any items that you marked as hidden will not show up there.

This is safer than deleting unwanted items as you may want to restore those items in the future and in the case of items such as Calendar, the shortcut points to a dll with arguments rather than an easily-identifiable exe.

[SteveHoward999]

I never use any options that hide files, because I'll decide what I can see and what I can do on my machine, thank you :-) So instead, I prefer to move the unwanted shortcuts to a different folder ... just in case.

[pocketpcadmirer]

I never use any options that hide files, because I'll decide what I can see and what I can do on my machine, thank you :-) So instead, I prefer to move the unwanted shortcuts to a different folder ... just in case.

I do the same. But anyway a cute little tip :) . I've made a folder in the utilities folder called TOSH, where I put all the unwanted shortcuts.

Sunny